German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke on [June 13] rebuffed the European Commission’s plan to propose new rules for crops bred using so-called new genomic techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, saying it’s not necessary.
“I see no need for re-regulation,” Lemke declared.
The topic of how to regulate new genomic techniques, or NGTs, is controversial, with proponents arguing they don’t pose the same risks as traditional genetically modified organisms and therefore should be treated differently, while some scientists and green groups warn there are still too many unknowns about their impacts.
The Commission is planning to propose a new legal framework for NGTs separate from the existing GMO rules they now fall under, currently expected to land next year.
Lemke, who also serves as Germany’s consumer protection minister, said that any new set of rules that Brussels puts out “must continue to include mandatory labeling,” and be underpinned by the EU’s precautionary principle of erring on the side of caution in food safety.
“Once an NGT is released to the environment, it is almost impossible to remove it,” she said. “Potential risks not only to the plants but also to ecosystems and biodiversity must be identified and evaluated precisely.”
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